Trapped in Your Web
by DelicaTesssa
Summary: This story follows an original character, Tessa Leeds, an elementary school teacher that admires the hero, Spider-Man. She will eventually take on a similar role to Mary Jane's reporter life and partner to Spider-Man. Spider-Man is based on a mixture of Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man (2018-video game).
1. Chapter 1

Hi Readers! This is my first fanfiction in AWHILE. I used to write a lot before, but then I got really busy. Now I am trying it again because it relaxes me and is a nice creative outlet. My work is extremely overwhelming and takes so much out of me (I do love it though), so writing is my mental calming. I am so out of practice, so I am sure there are plenty of mistakes and inconsistencies. I will try to catch them, but again, I am making this fanfiction for me and whoever enjoys it, so it will be no where near as incredible as the other fanfics of the hard working authors on here. I encourage anyone to comment and point out any of my mistakes, just do it nicely please.

This story follows an original character, Tessa, who is an elementary school teacher that admires the hero, Spider-Man. Imagine those annoying bugs that come out right as winter passes; lovebugs, I think they are called. They are everywhere, and they constantly fly into places that get them injured and killed. But they won't. fucking. stop. That's kind of like Tessa in this story. She just constantly finds herself in the middle of trouble. At first, it's out of her control, and she mostly just plays the sweet and innocent damsel in distress. But eventually, she begins to seek the adventure out and pursues a similar path to Mary Jane's reporter life and partner to Spider-Man. Hopefully I will be able to show her character growth through the chapters so she is not dull. In this story, Spider-Man/Peter Parker's personality and appearance will follow Andrew Garfield's addition. I know those movies aren't as loved as the Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland movies. And I completely get it, (they are superior in many ways) but I do really enjoy his Spider-Man. So without further ado: I only own my original characters and story branch; the rest belongs to SONY/Marvel.

**Trapped in Your Web**

Chapter 1:

_What's today again? Tuesday, really? _Tessa's shoulders slumped and eyebrows furrowed when she began to question her whole existence at the realization of the week being nowhere near finished.

With her comfy pencil and book decorated espadrille shoes, she stepped off of the crowded metro, turning her body to avoid the people rushing past her to get into the metro. And she made her way towards the stairs, breathing in the crisp autumn air.

_I'm still not used to the weather chilling this early_. Spending most of her life in Florida, Tessa only moved to New York City a year ago. 23 years of her life was spent in warm, humid, and bug-ridden Florida. Sure she had great access to excellent beaches and cheap housing, but nothing compared to living in the city with tall buildings, an unlimited number of coffee cafes, and a web-slinging s-

_HONK HONK_

Tessa's head shot up when she saw her bus with its lights on, ready to ride off. She picked up her pace to catch the bus in time and focused her mind to the school day.

_I guess I'll have to monologue my life story another time. Time to focus. _She thought as she shook her head.

The day sped past. At this part of the school year, it was a no-nonsense atmosphere. The kids have learned the routines and the expectations. And there was no time to waste with the fast paced curriculum.

Tessa was completely consumed by the day, did not stop running around even for her 20 minute lunch break. By the time it was 3:40, she was exhausted.

After she hugged her last student goodbye at the door, she turned on her heel and let out a big puff of air. She backed herself against a counter and leaned her weight against it. _Okay, okay. Mental to do list: go. Copies.. Alphabetize forms... Grades... Lesson plan for tomorrow... aaaaand_

As she ticked off her list on her fingers, she was interrupted by a coworker passing by her room.

"-Hey Tessa, would you be able to do my share of the team plans this week? I have my son's play tonight and I'm already so swamped with piles of ungraded work."

"No worries Lisa. Have a great time." _and Lisa's plans._

"Thank you SO much!"

With a two finger salute, Tessa bid Lisa goodbye as she saw her wave and turn the corner to continue on her path.

Tessa dragged her feet over to her wardrobe where she kept a mirror on the inside. Grabbing a clip, Tessa swirled her long, chocolate hair into a loose up-twist with small wavy pieces falling out of it, framing her face and neck. She pinched her cheek to wake herself up for the long night ahead of her.

"Ouch." _Better yet: Coffee._

Tessa gathered her things together, unplugged her laptop, and pushed her chair in. She pulled her jean jacket over her striped shirt and smoothed out her skinny, black pants. Flipping the lights off, Tessa closed the door and made her way out of the elementary school.

—

After the long, but mindless commute home, Tessa got off the metro and turned into the small cafe a couple blocks from her high-rise apartment. The cafe was filled with mostly students working on laptops or couples chatting at tables. A TV played the news with a woman reporting on everyone's favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man saving yet another crime. Tessa's big, brown eyes gazed up at the screen as she admired the crime fighting hero.

_What's it this time? Robbery, car chase, or a big bad? _While Tessa was lost in thought, a large shadow crossed over her when a tall man stepped up a few paces behind her.

Spider-Man slingshotting himself from a crosslight to a building high up reflected in Tessa's eyes. _There is nothing that compares to this in Florida. The closest hero I had there was a renowned mouse. And the only saving he did was in cartoons._

"Ahem."

Her head tilted some as she brought her hand up to touch her chin. _It's actually been awhile since I've visited home. But work has been so demanding lately. I haven't had the chance to catch my breath, let alone take time off to visit family and friends down there._

"Ahh-HEM. Miss."

Tessa shook her head, eyes going wide, and face reddening, as she looked around and then behind her. A line had formed with a gruff man with a heavy presence of taking no shit, standing very close behind her. He had a mustache that matched his salt and pepper flattop hair, suspenders straining his shoulders, and a suit jacket swung over her briefcase. His eyebrows were pushed together in an irritated scowl.

"Sorry. Sorry!" Tessa dipped her head as her eyebrows furrowed. She backed up towards the cashier, who was currently serving one person in front of her.

"Honestly. He's a public menace! A criminal getting fanfare and a spotlight!" He pointed a fat finger towards the TV that showed a stilled shot of Spider-man. "And look at you here. A beautiful young lady oogling this better-than-the-law vigilante. Despicable!" The man talked fast and precise. As he spoke, he moved forward, closer and closer to the cashier and Tessa.

"He swings in, Zip Zap Zop and answers to no one. But he should. He should be answering to me! Er-the paper! The people of the great New York City!" At this point he was standing beside Tessa. She was uncomfortable with his proximity and was making herself even smaller with her posture. "But no, everyone is fine with a guy in tights saving cats from trees."

He didn't pause or wait for Tessa to comment on his rants. He just turned and addressed the the barista on the other side of the counter. "I'll have a coffee, just black." Then he turned to Tessa, "And what would you like, angel?"

Tessa swiftly looked up at the cashier then to this brash man. "Oh, no. I'm fine. I can get myself-"

"Nonsense!" His voice boomed in her ear. "I've been talking your head off. This is the least I can do. The wife says she'll leave me if I don't start turning my attitude towards people around. Can't lose the missus. So I've stopped firing people at work and I've been nicer to my shoe shiner-even said thank you to that grave-walking bastard. And my mother-in-law, well, ..."

As he rambled on, Tessa nodded and smiled. She even giggled at the old man. He was crude but not horrible. _I think he just likes to be the center of attention, _she thought as she grabbed the coffee from the counter. She turned on her foot, "Thanks for the coffee..."

"Call me J.J. The Daily Bugle host. And you?" he said as he held out a hand.

She took his hand and shook, "Tessa. 3rd grade teacher."

* * *

Tessa jiggled the key around in the lock until she heard a click sound. _This damn key always sticks. _Finally unlocking the door, Tessa walks through the doorway and immediately sheds her lanyard, keys, and teacher bag in the foyer.

A calico cat meows softly as it prances quickly over to greet its owner.

"Hello monkey," Tessa greeted and immediately bends down to pet the cat. She picks up the cat and holds her close to her chest. "Loooong day, Sosa."

She brought them over to window out looking her porch and the buzzing city below her. She fixated on the city and skyline in front of her for awhile, until something caught her eye. On a high-rising corporate building a couple blocks away, she could see a shadow swing across the building. She tried to focus harder on it, squinting her eyes.

"Meeerrrrow."

Sosa the cat, being fed up with staying held for so long, wiggled her way out of her owner's arms and jumped to the floor. Tessa signed and prepared herself for the long night.

Tessa had thrown herself into her work and only stopped once to greet her roommate when she came home and to heat up chinese leftovers.

It was around 1:30 AM when Tessa found herself climbing into bed. Too tired to even turn off her lamp, her eyes shut heavy. A moment later, her eyes peeled open and she lifted her messy head to find what had prevented her from sleeping. A shrill sound came from the alarm on her phone and her phone read 6:00 AM. Tessa hit the dismiss button and flipped her body over. The covers fell just over her head.

Groaning, Tessa pushed the covers off and sat up. She stretched and then walked to her bathroom to start her morning routine.

* * *

With her addiction gripped in her hand, she smelled the coffee and vanilla and could practically feel it waking up her nerve cells.

_Today is not as crowded as yesterday. _Tessa thought as she had managed to be able to sit in her own seat. The metro stopped and the doors shuttered open to a flood of people getting on. _Thought too soon_. She grimaced as a middle-aged man in a long coat sat next to her.

He stumbled with his things, dropping his keys and wallet to the floor in between them before leaning over to grab them. He held them in his lap and looked over to Tessa with a sheepish smile and a silent laugh.

She returned his smile and looked down to his hands. He had a wedding ring on his finger that seemed worn and his skin around it was tan with a sliver of pale peeking out from under his ring. His hands were wrapped up with his keys and wallet. And his keys had a bunch of chains on them, clearly homemade by children.

She turned her gaze away. She was used to the normalcy of the South greeting and talking to complete strangers wherever you were, but she had to readjust in a city where not everyone was as welcoming.

Her teacher bag was squished in between the wall and leaning against her left leg. Tessa gazed out the window with her hand supporting her chin up. Her thoughts wandered, until she was ripped back into the present when the metro began screeching to stop.

"Oh my GOD!"

Tessa turned to the shouting and saw a woman and a couple men pressed up against the door windows looking ahead.

People began to get up and crowd the windows. The man next to her got up as well, so Tessa was able to make her way over to the right side of the metro and press her head against the window to see ahead.

Tessa could see the metro tracks ahead of her, high above the city roads. But a metro cart was flipped on its side perpendicularly balancing on the tracks, while the rest of the train was attached jaggedly. And her metro was racing towards all of it.

Sparks flew past her widening eyes as the metro continued breaking. Screams of other people echoed around her.

Tessa turned first to the man that had been sitting next to her, "Grab onto something!" A few people were still glued to the window. She grabbed their backs to turn them around and towards the seats and polls. "Please. Hurry and grab this!" She heard her message pass ahead of her to other people. Another man shouted it loud to get the rest of the people's attention.

Gripping the railing tightly, Tessa braced herself for the collision. She squeezed her eyes shut just as the metro slammed into the other train. Her cart jerked back and begin to tilt. Tessa could hear the bags and other items in the metro side to the left as screams picked up again.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi readers! I had so much fun writing chapter two right away. I have the next five chapters pretty much planned out, and then so many more ideas swirling around in my head that I just have to figure out how to fit them into my story. I am still very excited to write this whole story. Enjoy! :)

Chapter 2:

Sticking his web to a window of a tall building, Spider-Man swung his body forward through New York City under the rising sun. He released his string and shot out another to continue his glide. _Slow night. Patrolling was quiet. Well, except for the petty mugging at a convenience store, the gambling fiasco, and of course, Kingpin's goons running around causing terror -all before five in the morning._ _This job never quits on me does it? Maybe I'll grab a calzone before I head home_. _I still have my lab session this afternoon and I desperately need a cat nap._

His mind was set. He twisted his body to flip in the air and change his course towards Joe's Pizza.

Spider-Man turned his body and flung himself through the air, back-in-forth in between tall buildings and overpass roads, all while shooting out webs to swing from, as he quickly made his way over to the restaurant. He flipped his body in a ball and then landed in his spider stance in front of Joe's Pizza. Birds chirped and a homeless man snored quietly against the wall, as he stood up. Spider-Man walked up the steps and pushed on the glass door, only for his body to collide with the glass. He backed up and looked into the building for the first time, and noticed that the lights were off.

"Wait, what?" He lifted his arm and pushed back his suit to reveal his uncle's watch. _Shit. It's way too early. Aw man, a Cheesy Joe's Calzone sounded so good!_ Spider-Man put his arm back down and turned to the coffee shop across the street instead. He ran in, bought a couple breakfast sandwiches and coffees, then ran back across the street to hand each to the man that was previously sleeping. Spider-Man gave a swift salute to the people that had gathered around him. And with that same hand, shot a web out and slingshotted himself up and away.

He started on his way back to Queens for a shower and sleep. But as he was swinging, his spidey-senses zapped through him and he snapped his head in the direction of need. Changing directions, he sped through the air as quickly as he could. By the time he made it to what his senses were calling him to, he could see that a metro had smashed into another and was slowly sliding off the high platformed tracks.

He acted quickly, jumping to the smashed end of the metro. He shot out web trails in several directions very quickly, and stuck them to the platform. Then flipped over and under the metro, while wrapping the outside of the cart with his webs and securing that to the platform, as well. He did the same in several places, until the metro stilled for the moment. And finally, Spider-Man was able to turn his attention on getting the people inside of the metro out.

* * *

Tessa peeled open her eyes when the screaming had stopped, and looked around. The lights in the metro were off, and parts of the walls were off or hanging. It was eerily quiet except for the creaking of the metro. Tessa tilted her head back to glance on the outside of the metro. It was exactly what she had feared. The windows and doors to the metro were busted open and many people had fallen out. The metro hung almost completely off the tracks and was balancing on air. She let out a quiet, hysterical noise and squeezed her eyes shut. _Please wake up; please wake up._

Sucking in air, she decided it would do her no good to deny her situation, and so she opened her eyes again to continue her investigation. Another woman was ahead of her, close to the side of the metro where the platform was. She had her arms and legs wrapped around a poll similarly to Tessa's position. She was breathing in and out, on the brink of an anxiety attack. Tessa looked to her left and saw a younger man, a student, gripping the metro's chair. And then finally to the farthest corner, Tessa could see the man that had sat next to her, slumped against the wall with a bleeding wound on his head. He didn't seem to be moving, but she could hear him groaning softly.

The young man she observed earlier grabbed her attention when she heard him curse and yell out as his chair began to bend and come loose. "Grab the poll!" She screamed at him. And she watched in horror as he reached out just short by a few inches and his chair detached. "NO!"

The man fell straight down and through the open back, towards his death. She wanted to close her eyes and look away, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from his face as he fell. Tears built up in her eyes as she waited.

But he never hit the ground. A _woosh_ sound reached her ears and she saw red and blue dash across where the man had fallen. Her head flipped towards the opposite direction when she heard the metal of the doors being squeezed apart.

"I gotcha -I gotcha," came the voice of a man as arms gripped the other woman and pulled her through the doors.

Finally a head poked through those same doors, and Tessa's head fell back with a sigh and laugh when she recognized Spider-Man's mask. She pulled her head back up and stared into the crescent-shaped eyes of his mask. She smiled and sniffed her tears back.

"Hey-hey, hey. It's okay. Are you okay?"

Tessa nodded. "I'm going to get you out of here. Everything is fine now." His edgy voice comforted her.

_Oh thank god. I'm saved. _

Just as she thought that, Spider-Man's head shot to the right, and then she heard an awfully loud cracking noise. The whole cart jerked violently when it detached from the rest of the metro and begin to quickly slide down.

Spider-Man's arms blurred when he brought them up, one grabbing the cart and the other on the platform. Tessa let out a piercing scream, arms letting go of the poll and fell. Her back hit the other side of the wall and her side pressing into the seats prevented her from falling straight out. Then a huge chunk of metal from the wall of the cart fell on top of her, slicing into her forearm and leg.

Spider-Man groaned with the weight and the pressure. "Climb. Now." He grunted out.

Tessa looked towards Spider-Man then over to the unconscious guy to her left. "G-get him. He's still alive."

She could see the eyes on Spider-Man's mask change size as he observed his surroundings. His head then tilted down. "I can't. I can't hold this for too much longer and he's unconscious."

"But you have to! You're Spider-Man. And, and he needs saving. Please, he has a family. Kids that need him. I can't move anyways." Tears streamed down Tessa's face as she indicated the metal cutting into her.

"Stop it! You'll die!"

Tessa nodded quickly as she choked on a sob.

"Hey! What's your name?"

"...T..Tessa." Her teeth chattered.

"Tess, listen to me. Listen, I'm going to save you, okay?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, "Please. Get him fi-" The cart groaned in her ears as the metal was weighing itself down and pulling apart where Spider-Man gripped it tightly.

Spider-Man yelled out with frustration and pain. With speed, he moved his legs onto the platform, stuck a web to it as he let go, and pushed himself forward into the metro. The force caused the whole cart to separate from the metro and platform, and begun its descent down. He spun his body around as he acted fast: sticking the web strand to the man and lining him up with the opening of the cart as it fell around him. Spider-Man continued his way through the cart towards Tessa. He ripped the metal away from atop her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

Tessa reached her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest, muffling a scream.

The next thing she heard was a loud crash and an explosion. A wind blew around her and she clung tighter. She felt like she was flying with there being nothing beneath her and her feet swaying as they tried to find something to put pressure on. Slowly she removed her head from Spider-Man's chest and looked around. Somehow this creature in front of her had shot an additional web out that they were currently dangling by. She looked further up and saw the unconscious man swinging slightly and a whole group of people that were on the metro, gripping the floor of the rails peering down at them. Her eyes trailed back to Spider-Man's mask and they locked gazes. She could feel his body moving steadily with his heavy breathing.

When the shock passed the people watching, they all erupted into a loud cheer. Screaming _hoorays_ and Spider-Man's name.

* * *

Tessa found herself sitting on the back of a parked fire truck with a reflective blanket around her. _It must be for preventing me from going into shock. Pretty sure I left shock behind when I saw the other wrecked metro ages ago._

Spider-Man and working men and women helped get everyone to a safe location on the ground. Then the reporters swarmed in, interviewing anyone who could give a statement. Tessa excused herself out of talking to anyone. She wanted to focus on her own mental health before sharing anything with other people.

_Eight people._ She thought. _They said that the fall would have been fast for them and they probably didn't feel anything. But, I'm pretty sure they only said that because I looked like a fragile girl who would break apart if anyone used a word slightly close to death. But to be honest, I don't know how far from the truth they were in thinking that. My stomach feels like it's not even inside me anymore._

Tessa's loud thoughts silenced when a large police officer stepped up in front of her. "Hello Miss. My name is Officer Jefferson Davis. I know you must be shaken right now. But I need to speak with you. Are you able to do that?"

Tessa nodded. "Great. Okay, can you give me your name first?"

"Tessa Leeds."

He wrote her name quickly on a notepad, and then looked back up at her. "Alright. And do you have someone we can contact? A spouse or a relative?"

She shook her head, "It's okay. I can just call my family when I get home."

"If you're sure…" He made a scratch mark on the notepad, "Well, we can get you a ride home-"

"No. Really. I'm okay."

"Ma'am, no disrespect, but you had a traumatic event happen. Your leg was torn open. You had to get stitches, -"

"Thank you, but no! I am fine." She said sternly, jaw clenched. She didn't know why she was so harsh with the officer. He seemed to just be looking out for her.

Officer Davis nodded his head silently and turned to work with the other survivors.

_Survivors._ That word repeated and drifted in her head, trying to understand it fully. Tessa stood up and gathered her things that had survived the crash. A wet drop hit her hand, and she realized that she was crying.

"Hey. Pretty crazy with all the crowds, huh? They're innocent of course, but I guess they don't realize it can put off some shaken people. How are you doing, by the way?" A slightly muffled voice from the mask he wore came from behind her.

Tessa's hand swung up quickly to wipe away the wetness under her eyes, and she turned to face her hero.

"Hi," was all she could breath out. She coughed away her intimidation and tried again, "Yes, definitely overwhelming."

He stared silently for a moment. Tessa hoped he hadn't noticed her red eyes. "I actually came over here to update you on Ernest."

"Ernest?"

"He's the man you made sure was okay in the metro. Well, one of them. I hear you were doing some serious superhero work during the chaos." Spider-Man had his hands on his hips and moved one out to gesture to her. His voice was light as if he wasn't trying to tip her emotions too much. But he took a step closer to her and his voice deepened with seriousness, "You could have died."

"I know." Tessa could only breathe out her words now.

His mask eyes were focused on her as he stood still for a moment, and then swiftly backed up and said with his lighter tone, "I want to make sure you get home safe."

Tessa's face must have shown a lot more shock than she meant to let out, because he continued without breaking, "I mean. You just went through this whole accident. And you did get injured, which I feel responsible for. I just think it might be a good idea if you had an escort home. Ya 'know?" He spoke quickly and gestured with his hands a lot, ending his sentence with a gloved hand behind his head.

Tessa gazed at him with her big eyes and lips parted. She couldn't process all the things that had happened, but she wasn't going to miss this chance. She nodded her head, "Okay, yes." _I hope I don't sound eager, but…_ "Take me home, please."

* * *

A chilly breeze blew past Tessa's face. She smiled as she looked over Spider-Man's shoulder at the city passing them by. Both of Tessa's arms were wrapped securely around his neck. And if it weren't for Spider-Man holding her around her waist with one arm, she would definitely be screaming her voice away. But, she could not believe that she was practically flying through the air with Spider-Man.

It was late afternoon now, and the cool autumn weather was causing the sun to set earlier and earlier each afternoon. But, this caused a beautiful sunset to hang behind them.

Tessa never had a fear of heights until she was dangling above a road while holding onto a slowly falling metro poll. But those spine-chilling feelings she had then were being replaced by this man swinging them through downtown Brooklyn towards her apartment. Sensing her excitement, Spider-Man seemed to relax more and let out a woo into the wind.

Sending two streams of web towards the 21st balcony up, Spider-Man hurled them forward to land on Tessa's porch. Once his feet were firmly planted on the ground he slowly began to let her slide down him and onto the ground. Tessa let her arms relax some so they could unwrapped and come down as well. Her hands stopped though and rested on his chest. She looked up at his mask and hesitated. He was much taller than she was. Strong muscles could be seen (and felt) through his suit, even though he was tall and lean.

Tessa wondered so much about him, but she was having a difficult time concentrating on what she wanted to say to him. She could feel her breath dance with his. They both seemed to be coming down from a high of adrenaline. Finally, Tessa removed her hands from his chest and had them fall by her sides. Taking a step back, she smiled awkwardly. Focusing on a nonexistent speck on the ground, Tessa moved it around slightly with her foot.

"Thank you for seeing me home." She glanced back up at his mask eyes, and stuck them there.

"Hopefully, I'm still that bad roommate that always forgets to lock the porch door. I mean honestly, who is going to scale this wall to the 21st floor and break into our shitty apartment?" Tessa took a step back towards her sliding glass door with each beat, but never took her eyes off of him.

Spider-Man matched her steps forward so they didn't lose any distance, "Well, I hear there is a crazed vigilante out there that is able to break into homes and steal newborns."

A giggle slipped through her lips, "Thank god I am no newborn. But I guess I should be careful of a giant bug-man crawling up the side of my building" Her head tilted back as he got close enough that he towered over her.

He leaned back slightly, "Now see, that's nightmare fuel there."

Tessa laughed softly as her head rested back against the glass. Her laugh was infectious and even made Spider-Man lightly chuckle. But once their laughter died out and her head cleared up, she brought her face back upright and stuck out her hand. "Thank you, Spider-Man," she said as she shook his latex hand, "It wasn't necessarily a pleasure to meet you, being as I almost died. But, the ride home was…" She became less formal as she recalled her feelings while flowing through the air, "wonderful." Her hand in his almost feel like it was electric.

"Goodnight, Tess." He let go of her hand, and backed up to the ledge of her porch.

As she turned to go inside, she spun around quickly just in time to see him leap over the edge to free fall.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi readers! Here is another chapter. I wanted to add more and keep going, but I decided to release what I have. Enjoy!

Chapter 3:

Tessa slid the door closed, after she stepped into her heated apartment. She couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. But when she turned around, it dropped.

"What. The. Fuck."

Tessa's roommate, Nancy, stood across from her by the kitchen. She could clearly see out onto the porch and was still frozen staring at her, waiting for Tessa's explanation.

"You're home early…" Tessa didn't know what to do with her hands and she swayed from one foot to the other. _How do I explain how I almost died today, hmmm. _

"Well. The perks of being a teacher, right? Summers off, holidays, and cheap Ubers home from SPIDER-MAN!" Nancy's voice was loud by the end.

Tessa nodded and looked anywhere except for her roommate's face. "Yeah… I guess… But all the exposure to the sicknesses and the pain-in-the-ass parents is always rough."

"Tessa, focus and explain."

Tessa signed and moved to sit on the couch. Nancy joined her and listened quietly while Tessa told her about her traumatic experience that morning, never making it to work, and being saved by a superhero.

After she finished, Nancy shook her head processing it all. "Are you doing okay? You know you can ask me if you need something."

Tessa nodded, "I don't think I have finished processing it all myself, honestly. But I'm okay. I have to talk with my boss, but I'm probably going to take the rest of this week off. And get a check up from my doctor."

"Sure. That's understandable."

They sat silently for a moment until Nancy spoke up, "What was he like?"

Tessa thought for awhile. She had only spent the afternoon with him and most of it was filled with destruction and panic. _Pretty hard to learn about a person under intense, life-threatening danger. But…_ "He was kind."

"Okay, jeez. That's enough. Way to over-share." Nancy raised an eyebrow, sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, I just don't know that much about him."

"Well he wears a mask for a reason, I guess."

Tessa went silent as she became lost in her thoughts, all consumed by Spider-Man. Now that everything was so quiet, she really started to feel how exhausted she was from the day. She was due for some much needed sleep. After hugging her roommate goodnight, Tessa collapsed in her bed, Sosa snuggling up against her back.

* * *

Peter Parker rolled on his foot when he landed clumsily in front of the rooftop door to the research center where he worked. He was still suited up as Spider-Man. So he shot out a web to behind a potted plant where his bag was planted and yanked it to him. Inside was a change of clothes, Peter-clothes.

As he dressed himself for his work shift, Peter thought: _Man, I am so tired. After that metro crash and taking that girl home, I didn't have any time to take a nap before getting here. _He sighed after he threw his now-empty bag back to its hiding spot, and pushed open the door.

He walked in a few paces, but stopped. Images of that girl flooded his head. As her face appeared in his mind, he focused on her beautiful smile, opening enough to show her teeth. He felt like he was sinking into her deep brown eyes. And he thought back to how wonderful she smelled. Even after being through a disaster. He replayed the moment of their shared laugh on her balcony. A couple times.

As her laugh echoed in his head, he glanced at his watch and hurried along to meet with his employer, Otto.

* * *

Thursday came and went in a flash. Tessa's boss had granted her leave this week, so she decided to use it to get her life in order. Tessa had gone to her doctor and she checked out her stitches in her leg, wrapped them back up, and gave Tessa a complimentary visit to a therapist if she chose to attend it.

She put the information for the therapy appointment in her bag, not sure yet if she wanted to use it.

When Friday arrived, Tessa got up early that morning and walked, with a slight limp, to her favorite coffee café. Even though it was a work day, many people still sat outside the café and leisurely drank coffees. She walked past the people and pushed open the door, hearing a bell above her head ring to signal her entrance.

Tessa got a coffee and a pastry and decided to eat outside. The weather was on the chilly side, but with her long coat she was comfy and warm. She went to the last available table where there were two chairs, so she chose to sit in the one facing the street.

While enjoying her warm breakfast, Tessa watched as people walked by on their way to work. Cars sped by and some impatient people even honked their car horns. All of the noise somehow comforted Tessa. She continued to sit and enjoy her time off.

But whenever she had a moment, Tessa's thoughts would always wander. No matter what, they always seemed to end up focusing on Spider-Man. Her thoughts and dreams were being taken over by him. His voice echoed in her head as she imagined that day. "_Goodnight, Tess." …_ An image of them standing on her porch as she held his gaze, appeared and faded. Flashes of her holding onto him as they swung from one building to the next appeared, and then was replaced with the image of the sunset reflecting off of him. That was soon gone as well, and Spider-man's mask was all she could see. "_Listen to me. Listen. I'm going to save you, okay?" … "Stop it! You'll die!" …_The images in her mind begun to come faster now as she saw flashes of the crash. Her mind was still plagued by it. Tessa's eyebrows furrowed and she squeezed her eyes closed. The screaming of the other people in her metro kept playing like it was on repeat.

A man sitting down in front of her ripped her from her troubling thoughts.

"-Tessa! Mornin'." He smiled big and set a piece of paper in front of her before setting the rest of his items, a coffee and a portfolio case.

She looked up and recognized him as the person from the other day in the line. Still upset from her thoughts, Tessa questioned him suspiciously, "What are you doing?"

"Joining you for breakfast! Let's focus on the key detail here, Tessa. I have some questions about Spider-Man." Jameson reached into his case and pulled out a newspaper with a giant picture of her crash on the cover. He holds it up to her so she can read the headline.

**SPIDER-MAN SAVES MANY IN EARLY MORNING METRO COLLISION**

Not wanting to read and relive that anymore, Tessa gently pushed the paper down to the table. "I didn't interview with the reporters. You can meet with any of the other...survivors from the crash. I'm sure they'll tell you all about how Spider-Man saved us."

"But that's exactly why I came here to you! That's all those people and the newspaper does, talks about how wonderful and heroic he is. But you. You didn't give an interview. You must have something to share about this abomination-"

"Did you wait here for me? Are you stalking me?" she asked slowly, interrupting him.

Jameson shined prouder. "I may be the host, but back in my younger days, I was a hell of a good reporter. Connecting the dots from the crash to you, and tailing you until we met here again was a rookie's job."

"I'm sorry, but no. I have nothing bad to say about Spider-Man." As she spoke, Tessa gathered her things and began to stand up to leave.

"Wait! At least come in to my office next week. Hear what I have to say. I left you my card. Take it. Think about it." Jameson gestured with his hands, welcoming her to take the piece of paper he left on the table in front of them.

_Might as well take it so he will leave me alone. _Tessa nodded and turned to walk home. "Goodbye, Jameson." She called out as she left him behind her.


End file.
